Travel Review: Portland, Oregon

A City Known for its Weirdness Lives Up to its Reputation

After months of quarantining at home in the Bay Area and spending an extensive amount of time intensively job searching, by the time August finally rolled around, I felt burnt out to an extent I haven't felt in quite some time. I, therefore, decided to dedicated this month as "me" time, taking a break from my rigorous routine.

Despite living just one state away, I had actually never had the opportunity to visit Portland and figured I'd use some of my excess free time to take a solo trip up to Stumptown. Given this would be my first time traveling by air since the pandemic shut down, I was curious to see how things had changed. Aside from obvious differences like mask requirements and extra sanitation, it was encouraging to hear that the airline I was flying with (Southwest) chose to block middle seats and that airports put signs on chairs in the terminal to assist travelers with social distancing while they waited to board their flights. The boarding process was also surprisingly less chaotic, as people were called up to board in groups of 10 rather than the typical 30. The plane was also pleasantly clean, although the food and beverage service was limited to a small snack and water, which I didn't mind too much but didn't really quite understand the rationale behind.

Day 1: Initial Impressions

Once I arrived in Portland, I hopped in a Lyft to take me downtown, where I engaged in an interesting conversation with my driver about how trashed the city has become following weeks of protests and social unrest surrounding Black Lives Matter and the decision of the president to deploy federal troops to contain the rioting that was occurring. It became even more evident when we reached downtown and saw a lot of buildings still boarded up and graffiti and signs everywhere supporting the BLM movement and telling the feds to "go home".

Another noticeable aspect of downtown Portland that caught my eye upon arrival was the sheer amount of homeless individuals living in rows of tents littering the sidewalks, reminiscent of what you see in certain neighborhoods of San Francisco. While most large cities in America struggle with homelessness, my image of Portland never included that for whatever reason, and it was sad to see that first thing upon my arrival.

But despite this unfortunate reality, I was eager to explore downtown, first grabbing some dinner at Afuri, a Japanese Ramen restaurant that opened its first US location in Portland. While the ramen was decent, it wasn't particularly mindblowing and I've definitely had better ramen here in the Bay Area. I then decided to work off the dinner by taking a walk up and down the Willamette River waterfront, which was surprisingly serene despite the fair number of folks exercising and transients roaming around. There was also a nice section that included some nicer restaurants with patio seating overlooking the river, and the path boasts incredible views of the numerous drawbridges that criss-cross the river.

Above: View of the Portland skyline overlooking the Willamette River

Day 2: Neighborhood Exploration

For my first (and only) full day in the city, I didn't really have anything planned other than to explore various neighborhoods and see what I came across. I first decided to hop on the Orange Line Light Rail and head out east to a quieter neighborhood called Sellwood/Eastmoreland. Getting a pass for the light rail proved fairly simple, although I made the mistake of using $20 cash for a $5 all-day pass, which resulted in the machine spitting out 15 dollar coins, which took forever to grab and ultimately made me miss the train. Luckily, headway times are a pretty reasonable 15 minutes.

The train ride itself was surprisingly nice. The trains were new-looking and clean, moved at a reasonable pace once we departed downtown, and provided announcements for each stop. Once I got to the Sellwood neighborhood, I stumbled across a nice park that had a boardwalk for people to birdwatch over a marshy area and a beautiful lake that I chose to set as the background for my daily quiet time and Bible readings. I then walked a few blocks to the main street running through the area which had a good variety of coffee shops, restaurants, and stores. But despite the inviting smell of food, I decided to hop back on the Light Rail and grab a burger at Cartopia, a food cart pod with a wide selection of cuisine options, including Mediterranean, Thai, and various American foods.

Above: One of the many bridges that cross the Willamette River

My next stop actually took me to another state - the city of Vancouver in Washington. The only reason I knew about Vancouver was that the agency I used to work for had an office there. I figured it might be another unique place to check out. Unfortunately, there really wasn't much there apart from some office building complexes and a small underdeveloped nature area that ended up being so overgrown that it was difficult to walk around in it. I ultimately found a rock wall near an office building to sit and read Atlas Shrugged for about half an hour before getting a Lyft to take me back to Portland.

My initial plan was to check out Victoria for a happy hour, a hip bar in East Portland. I had read on their website that they were closed Monday and Tuesday of that week due to a staffing shortage but would reopen Wednesday, the day I was there. Unfortunately, I guess they were unable to resolve that shortage as I arrived only to be disappointed that it remained closed. Having been out all morning and afternoon though, I decided I would hop on the nearby light rail and go back to my hotel for a while before grabbing dinner.

Above: Waiting in line for Voodoo Doughnuts in downtown Portland, OR

I was keen to get some food from the Pine Street Market, which the NY Times had praised in its 2017 "Best Places to Visit" feature on Portland, but I was again stood up as the market was closed due to the pandemic. This allowed me however to find a nicer sit-down restaurant around the corner called Lechon, which labels itself as South American cuisine. I decided to order pork belly as I was craving some protein, but unfortunately, the $15 dish only consisted of three tiny pieces that did not fill me up. I then ordered some empanadas which were cheaper and much more filling. Following this disappointing dinner, I stood in line at Voodoo's Doughnuts with about 30 others who wanted the authentic Portland doughnut-eating experience. I ordered a voodoo doll which was scrumptious, to say the least after a fairly lousy dinner. By then it was about 8:30 and it was just starting to get dark, so I figured I'd conclude the night with a photo opp at the Portland stag sign.

Above: The famous Old Town Portland Stag sign illuminated as the sun sets

Day 3: Mansions and Gardens

For my final day in the city of Roses, I wanted to find a place with a nice view of the city, and the historic Pittock Mansion ended up being the perfect spot to do that. The mansion is named after pioneer and publisher Henry Pittock, who once resided there with his family and is best known for being the first to summit Mt Hood, which overlooks Portland. I'm a huge fanatic of visiting old homes and museums, so walking through the house brought me pure bliss. In addition, the garden surrounding the house was home to a colorful array of various flowers.

Above: Pittock Mansion in Portland, OR

I concluded my time in Portland at the Lan Su Chinese Garden downtown and, while fairly small (I managed to walk through in 20 minutes at what I would consider a snail's pace), it was a nice haven with a coy fish pond, lily pads, and traditional Chinese style buildings which drastically juxtaposed the hoards of the homeless outside of the garden walls and the tall modern skyscrapers that now encompass the city.

Above: Japanese Tea Garden in downtown Portland, OR

Overall, I was grateful for the time I spent in Portland and the gorgeous weather I was blessed with for my 3 days there. But while unique in its own respect, I didn't particularly find anything special about the city apart from its hipster feel. I hesitate to say whether I will return anytime soon, but if you're looking for a place to spend a few days on the West Coast, definitely check out Portland!

Above: Snapping a selfie with a view of downtown Portland from the Pittock Mansion estate